Inefficiency: TB Centre another institute facing government’s neglect

Hospital functions with three doctors, dysfunctional X-ray machine.


MARIAM SHAFQAT April 20, 2015
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ISLAMABAD: Much like other institutions of public importance, the federal government TB Centre in Rawalpindi is also neglected by the government.

The extent to which the hospital is neglected can be judged from the fact that posts for six doctors in the hospital have been vacant for the past four years while it also lacks basic medical equipment which includes an X-ray machine that has been dysfunctional for the past 11 years.

“Currently only three doctors are working at the six sanctioned posts under Dr Mahrukh Siddiqui who has been the head since the Medical Superintendent left a while ago,” a senior administrator on condition of anonymity said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Lady Health Visitor (LHV) Nasia Khan revealed that the centre has been waiting for an approval by the government to acquire the X-ray machine. “This has been a daunting challenge for us since there are two basic methods for diagnosing any patient either through an X-ray scan or a sputum sample test”.

Furthermore, she said that after the initial diagnosis, the doctors usually direct the patients to the LHVs for assistance. “Any typical patient usually undergoes an eight month medical course. I re-prescribe the medicines our specialists had already prescribed them after initial diagnosis and checkups. Medicines for TB and other patients are mostly same type of antibiotics” Khan said.

“If a patient shows up with a new symptom I am not sure of I refer them back to specialised doctors”.

The hospital receives about 200 to 250 patients every day which becomes difficult for the few doctors to handle. An official of the centre, requesting anonymity, said that it’s not the job or expertise of LHVs to prescribe medicines to patients as they can only assist doctors and nurses. There are six lady workers currently working in the TB center.

An LHV’s minimum qualification required to enroll as an LHV is matriculation. The training curriculum aims to only briefly familiarise the LHVs about all of the commonly occurring diseases.

When contacted, Dr Mahrukh refrained from commenting and said they were not authorised by the Cabinet Division to speak to the media.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

Nuur Hasan | 8 years ago | Reply This is the thing when a rigged govt. takes over. They are only interested in mega projects (for corruption) and the little guy, the common man always suffers.
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